If Theresa May calls another election, prepare for a ‘short and sharp’ manifesto

Theresa May scraps £65 charge for EU nationals after Brexit

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A “save Theresa” operation has been launched by European leaders amid fears in Brussels that she could be toppled by Boris Johnson.

With just over six months to Britain’s departure from the EU, they are stepping up efforts to clinch agreement with Theresa May over the terms of the UK’s withdrawal.

Michel Barnier, the bloc’s chief negotiator, yesterday insisted that a deal was “realistic” and “possible” by November. His comments triggered an immediate rise in the value of the pound.

Fresh evidence of an improvement in the atmosphere between London and Brussels came after Mr Johnson denounced Mrs May’s Brexit strategy as wrapping “a suicide vest around the British constitution”.

Chuck Chequers

EU officials have been closely studying his pronouncements since he resigned as Foreign Secretary in protest over Mrs May’s Chequers negotiating plans for Brexit.

They are well aware that she faces a moment of maximum difficulty when he addresses a 1,000-strong “chuck Chequers” rally at the Tory conference on 2 October.

Boris Johnson is rumoured to have long harboured leadership ambitions

Mr Johnson’s Eurosceptic allies are warning her that her days could be numbered if she fails to change direction.

One Brussels source told i: “We are very conscious of the pressure on Theresa May. We’re doing our best not to add to that.

“We’re not changing our red lines, but we want to engage on Chequers. It has some positive elements.”

Eight weeks

Hostility in Brussels to Mr Johnson dates back 25 years when he was a reporter covering the EU. He has described his spell writing lurid stories about its activities as “chucking these rocks over the garden wall”.

Michel Barnier is leading the European Commission negotiating team (Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images)

Mr Barnier, speaking in Slovenia, said the two sides were “not far from agreement”.

He said: “I think that if we are realistic, we are able to reach an agreement on the first stage of the negotiation, which is the Brexit treaty, within six or eight weeks.”

But he stressed that the wrangle over the Irish border had still not been resolved and also pointed to differences over protecting the names of food and agricultural products.

EU summit

“We’re not changing our red lines, but we want to engage on Chequers

Brussels source

Theresa May’s official spokesman agreed that progress had been made in recent weeks.

He said: “We have had positive engagement over the summer with EU leaders in relation to the Chequers plan. That engagement continues.”

The EU’s remaining 27 leaders will hold an informal summit in Austria next week where they will discuss giving Mr Barnier new instructions in talks with Britain.

The fresh guidelines could be formally adopted at a summit in October, paving the way to a special Brexit summit on 13 November with the aim of concluding negotiations.

Prime minister Theresa May arrives to attend the first day of a European union summit in Brussels (Photo Getty Images)

Under this timetable, which remains highly provisional, Mrs May would then attempt to win parliamentary support for her Brexit withdrawal agreement.

That could be an even bigger challenge as Labour look likely to oppose any deal, while scores of pro-Brexit Tory MPs could vote against it on the basis that too much ground has been ceded to the EU. It would then need to be approved by the European Parliament.

If Theresa May calls another election, prepare for a ‘short and sharp’ manifesto

Theresa May scraps £65 charge for EU nationals after Brexit

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